1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an endoscope distal end cover for covering a distal end main body configuring an insertion portion of an endoscope, an endoscope including the endoscope distal end cover, and a method for removing the endoscope distal end cover.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally, an endoscope includes an operation portion grasped by a user for performing various operations, and an insertion portion. The insertion portion includes a flexible tube portion having flexibility which is extended from the operation portion, a bending portion continuously provided at a distal end of the flexible tube portion, and a rigid distal end portion continuously provided at a distal end of the bending portion. The bending portion is bendable, for example, in right/left, up/down directions by an operation of the operation portion.
The distal end portion is provided with an illumination window, an observation window, a nozzle for spouting a fluid to clean the observation window, forceps port which is a lead-out port for various treatment instruments. The distal end portion includes a distal end portion main body and a distal end cover. The distal end cover is mounted for the purpose of insulating the distal end portion main body, or securing airtightness of the distal end main body. The distal end cover is adhered and fixed to the distal end main body so as not to fall off from the distal end main body.
The endoscope is cleaned and disinfected after use from a viewpoint of hygienic control. It is known that, in a case of cleaning the distal end portion of the endoscope, specifically, cleaning a treatment instrument insertion channel of the endoscope for example, a distal end port is exposed by removing the distal end cover and easily cleaned. Furthermore, inside of the distal end portion main body can be also easily cleaned by removing the distal end cover from the distal end portion main body.
Conventionally, many endoscopes including detachable distal end covers have been proposed in consideration of a cleanability of the distal end portion. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-102668 discloses an endoscope provided with a distal end cap which is prevented from falling off when using the endoscope, and can be easily removed and disposed after use.
In the endoscope, the distal end cap is provided with a tearing guide groove as tearing guide means which serves as a guide when tearing the distal end cap from an edge portion thereof. Furthermore, the endoscope includes, at an inner part of the edge portion of the distal end cap, a tool insertion groove which is a start point when tearing the distal end cap using the tearing guide groove. The tool insertion groove is tearing start-point means, and a tool is inserted from the edge portion of the distal end cap via the insertion groove when tearing the distal end cap.
In the endoscope having such a configuration, the distal end cap can be securely mounted to the distal end portion main body by just pressing the distal end cap thereto. On the other hand, in a mounted state, the distal end cap can be easily removed by tearing and breaking the distal end cap itself and releasing an engaged state between the distal end cap and the distal end portion main body. In addition, re-use of the distal end cap is prevented by tearing and breaking the distal end cap itself, so that a new distal end cap is used for each case, thereby securing hygienic state.
Moreover, in the endoscope including the detachable distal end cover, it is easy to facilitate a configuration in which the distal end cap is prevented from falling off during the use of the endoscope, due to the structure in which the distal end cap can be removed only by breaking the distal end cap itself.